VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cooledge
Lighting Inc. today announced the appointment of William J. Sims as
CEO, underscoring its opportunity to drive the most significant
advancement in illumination since LEDs were first embraced nearly two
decades ago. A board member since 2015, Sims served as interim CEO for
the past year, during which time the company nearly tripled its project
pipeline and expanded its sales presence in Europe, the Middle East and
Asia. His acceptance of the role on a permanent basis positions Cooledge
for rapid growth, fueled by proprietary technology that fuses digital
light with architecture in wide-ranging retrofit and new construction
projects.

Building on this momentum, the company has already closed $12 million
from existing and private investors towards a target of $17 million in
its latest round. The funds will fuel additional expansion of global
sales and support, marketing programs, and product development –
cementing the company’s category ownership and accelerating its timeline
to profitability.

“Having led and advised companies in this sector for over 15 years, I
can say with confidence that Cooledge is a stand-out, both in terms of
the luminous surfaces we make possible today and the opportunity we have
to make them ubiquitous – blurring the lines between lighting and
architecture,” said Sims. “We are answering the unmet demand for
fully-integrated luminous ceilings and walls, which exploit the
advantages of LEDs far beyond mere replacement bulbs and fixtures. We
will change the very way illumination is delivered, controlled and
experienced, and I’m excited to guide the company to realize this full
potential.”

Sims is well known as the former President and CEO of Color Kinetics,
the company largely credited as the pioneer of intelligent LED lighting.
In his seven-year tenure he guided the company to profitability and
oversaw its successful IPO, secondary offering and eventual sale to
Philips for nearly $800 million. He has more than 30 years’ experience
growing both emerging and established companies, including the
successful launch of industry-first technologies in both the consumer
and business-to-business space.

“We could not have found a better leader than Bill to chart the course
for Cooledge, and we’re looking forward to the company’s next chapter
under his guidance,” said Clint Bybee, Chairman of the board of
directors. “He is a visionary with a special knack for identifying
breakthrough technologies and successfully bringing them to market, and
his enthusiasm for Cooledge is validation of the company that we’ve
built to date.”

Today Cooledge is the go-to brand for enabling luminous surfaces, with
expertise derived from thousands of installations completed worldwide.
Its market-leading systems, TILE and LINE, have ultra-thin, flexible
forms that can be cut and shaped to fit curved architecture and paired
with diffusion materials; including fabric, acrylic, resin and
translucent stone; to create luminous surfaces. Over the last 12 months,
the company has expanded its product range with exterior-grade
and tunable
white options, and plans to unveil a next-generation platform with
significantly enhanced control capabilities as early as next year. These
offerings, coupled with the delivery of immersive illumination via
surfaces, will elevate the role of light in the built environment.

About Cooledge Lighting

Cooledge is the global leader in luminous surface offerings. The company
provides a portfolio of proprietary lighting technologies that can be
seamlessly integrated into all forms and scale of the built environment
enabling large architectural surfaces instead of light points for
illumination. The company’s luminous surface capabilities are deployed
in retail, office, hospitality, and themed venues for both new and
retrofit building applications. Cooledge is headquartered in Vancouver,
Canada, and supported by a network of sales agencies and partners
throughout North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. For more
information, visit www.cooledgelighting.com or
follow us on Twitter @CooledgeLtg.